Afghanistan

Abstract

WHATEVER opinions our readers may hold as to the present action of the Government with respect to Afghanistan, it may not be considered inappropriate to summarise briefly what we know about a country, which at no remote date may become a part of the British Empire. A good deal has been written on the country, and some valuable records of the observations of travellers who have been permitted to penetrate it have been published. One of the best sketches of Afghanistan in its various aspects will be found in the magnificent “Noveau Diet. de Géog. Universelle,” by Vivien de St. Martin, now being issued by Hachette and Co. On this the present article is mainly based. For further details we would refer our readers to this work, and the long bibliography appended to the article, as well as to a paper in the Geographical Magazine for October, and a pretty exhaustive account of the botany of the country in the Gardener's Chronicle of November 2, and the works referred to in these two journals.